As part of Ogier’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the wider community, the law firm is sponsoring the anniversary conference of the Jersey Employment Trust to celebrate 20 years of the trust’s work supporting islanders living with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions into employment.

The BBC’s Security Correspondent and bestselling author, Frank Gardner OBE will be the keynote speaker at the event to be held at L’Horizon Beach Hotel on Tuesday 26 April 2022, where the Jersey Employment Trust will also present awards to employers who have gone the extra mile when supporting people who have a disability or long-term health condition in the workplace.

Mr Gardner suffered life-changing injuries after being shot by terrorists in Saudi Arabia in 2004 and presented a BBC documentary called ‘Being Frank’, showing his life coping with an acquired disability.

He said: “People look at somebody in a wheelchair, like me, and they probably think ‘poor guy, I wonder if he needs a bit of help?’ What they don’t see is all the stuff that we have to deal with beneath the surface.”

Sarah Murray, Group Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Ogier, said: “We are delighted to support the Jersey Employment Trust as they celebrate this landmark anniversary. Through their work, they highlight a large, and mostly untapped, pool of talent. They not only help those with disabilities or long-term health conditions gain and maintain employment, but also offer advice and guidance to employers on providing the necessary support.

“Awareness is not as high as it needs to be, not just of the often simple adjustments that employers can make to support people with disabilities in the workplace, but also the significant contribution people with disabilities make as employees. We want to change that, and we hope that events such as this anniversary conference will play a part in this.”

Jersey Employment Trust executive officer Jocelyn Jacques said: “We would like to thank Ogier for their generous support, which means that we can run our flagship event without charging delegates and bring over a high-profile speaker like Frank Gardner, who is sure to make our 20th anniversary conference even more memorable. Mr Gardner is well known for being a witty and gifted communicator, and this conference will be a mix of celebrating the past and looking forward to the next 20 years in supported employment.”